How does David Ribich have a contract but Eric Holt doesn't?

Ribech is involved in Podcasts, has a high social media output, 9k in followers and is friends with the current world champion.

Eric is a great runner but i guess does not market himself as well.

I dont think we should be mad with Ribich for making some dolla just because Eric has not yet

Lol, yeah I'm sure the sponsors are lining up because of his 9,000 followers.

Doesn't Asics sponsor Gebrihwet? g

See this is what I don't get and why I chose David as a comparison point. It's not like he's some hot chick influencer (like Colleen, Vanessa Fraser, or Rachel McArthur). He's a guy with more followers than Eric (9k vs like 5k) but still relatively low and does he even still do Sit & Kick regularly? Again, my point wasn't to be mad at David but more to point out how ridiculous it is that some have a deal and some don't. I would love to see the sport in a place where basically anyone good enough to make USAs has some level of basic deal to at least supplement some of the costs of competing in the sport at that high level. But obviously that's not where we're at and I can definitely sympathize with Eric's frustration.

Um, NO.

Dude, there's nothing complex at all going on here. It's about who you know, your connections.

Anywho, if Eric is frustrated now wait until he tries to start a real career at his age.

Don't forget Leo Manzano getting dropped by Nike after winning Olympic silver* at age 28 and then was unsponsor for over a year afterwards.

Who's the 5th best shot putter, or 3 best javelin thrower? If you're not an NCAA All-American, at least, you need to be marketing yourself to shoe sponsors, and probably joining a training group that is tied to a shoe sponsor. Empire Elite doesn't seem to have that kind of funding, but BAA, and ATC would be some of the bigger regional teams that do. There are plenty of smaller regional groups with ties to running stores where top local athletes get free or at cost shoes and kits. If Holt is still paying for all of his own shoes as an "unsponsored" athlete, it means he's not playing the game and marketing himself to the industry stakeholders. He should have an agent that gives him direction needed to secure a sponsorship and listen to their advice. He's faster than plenty of sponsored runners.

Ribich won a D2 championship and got a chance with the Brooks Beast team, made enough of a name for himself to get UAC to give him a chance when they are struggling to keep a men's team together. We don't know what the conditions of his "sponsorship" are, but I'm guessing he's fulfilling contractual obligations in everything he can easily control.

It's possible. He's been a late bloomer in terms of running performance, so to say. He could still have more upside as he wasn't training like a top-tier pro until the past few years.

Yes, most people peak in mid to late 20s. Many retire because of injuries or just not having the drive anymore, not because they've gotten every single drop of performance out of their bodies. Willis was at his peak in his early 30s.

But it's all very unlikely.

Didn't one of the coaches drom Empire Elite take over the job at Atlanta TC(that has an adidas deal)? Why didn't he go with that coach to Atlanta